It's Only Natural
by Vodka Martini
Summary: House, as usual, intends on bugging Cuddy, but she's not in the mood. HUDDY Please Review! Some Smut. Sorry if you're offended! Gee I suck at summaries...
1. Failure

Dr. Gregory House watched as, just like clockwork, the young woman behind the desk glanced at her watch, shut down her computer, gathered her belongings, left the office, and walked down the hall toward the elevator with her coat under her arm and her purse slung over one shoulder. He smiled in satisfaction. Cuddy's assistant was gone for the night, but she hadn't turned off any lights or locked up the outer office, meaning that Doctor Lisa Cuddy, the Dean of Medicine and his boss, was still in her office. Not that it was much of a surprise, as she tended to 'burn the midnight oil' so to speak, and stay at the hospital long past normal working hours. He enjoyed this game now, of watching and waiting for the perfect moment to make a grand entrance and bug his boss. It was much easier to sneak around the hospital unnoticed since the ketamine treatments three months ago had healed his leg. He still walked with a slight limp that the physiotherapy had been unable to fix, but he was assured that with enough exercise it would fade in time. He listened outside of Cuddy's door for a minute, wanting to make sure she was alone before he entered. Satisfied that he heard no voices, he pushed the door open and stepped inside the office. The room was not at all what he had expected, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. The only light came from the open curtains, perfectly framing Cuddy's silhouette against the window. He had come in prepared to give her a hard time; make some snide remark about whatever came to mind, most likely her low-cut top. He paused, unsure of what to do, but he realized that she was unaware of his presence and he didn't want to startle her.

He slid the door open again and closed it with a more audible thud, exclaiming, "Why doctor Cuddy, I see you've already set the mood. If I had known you were all ready for me I would have come earlier." She barely turned. It was enough to acknowledge his presence, but it certainly wasn't the response he'd been expecting. He thought the better of another smart comment and walked toward her petite form, leaning against the window a comfortable distance from her. With the natural light shining on her now, he could see the tears on her cheeks – a detail he had missed during her brief initial look at him.

"Hey hey, now…Cuddy…Lisa…" he said, unsure of how to continue.

He wracked his brain for some explanation for her tears. Damn. It had been just over three weeks now, how could he have forgotten? He moved a bit closer and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It failed. You're not pregnant," he said softly. It was a statement, not a question, but she nodded anyway. She wondered where his kind gestures were coming from, but she decided not to question them. She looked into his eyes. Damn those eyes, she couldn't stop herself from falling into the old familiar trap. _God how she loved that man_. She felt her disappointment wash over her anew…causing a fresh wave of tears to fall silently down her cheeks. He reached out and took her other shoulder as well, pulling her body into his. He was glad, and a little surprised, when she didn't resist, and he wrapped his strong arms tightly around her body and held her close.

Lisa was shocked by his embrace, and more than willing to indulge in his warmth and comfort. She buried her face in his neck, and with her hands pressed tightly to his chest, she let loose the flood of tears that had been trying to spill since she read the results of the test. He held her close and rubbed her back as her tears fell in salty torrents down her cheeks and onto his collar, smearing her mascara as they went. He was completely silent, offering her as much comfort as he could with just his presence and his arms. Being this close to her brought feelings in him that were more than inappropriate. He joked around about sex more than anyone should, but in reality, if he could have Lisa he would want her for much more than that. Everything about her cried out for him to love her, and everything in him responded full force. He knew there was no way she could feel the same, so he never brought it up other than in jokes. He had a sneaking suspicion that even if he did, she wouldn't take him seriously.

If House thought that Cuddy wouldn't believe any professions of love that came from him, he was quite right. She loved him, of course, which was the only reason she constantly put up with him, but she was sure that her feelings would never be reciprocated. The thoughts that were swimming through her head right now were what kept her crying; the fact that she had yet again failed to get pregnant, and the fact that no matter how close she got to the man that she loved, she could never have him.

House tightened his hold on her as he felt her shoulders shake in a violent sob. With one hand he held her tight, and with the other he gently stroked her hair. He kissed the top of her head softly; so sure that she couldn't feel it.

Lisa loved the feeling of being in his arms. She wondered if he noticed how perfectly she fit there, and she wanted to make it last as long as possible. She wanted to melt as she felt him stroking her hair, and she thought she felt him lightly kiss her head, but she couldn't be sure. She calmed a bit at the thought and settled against his chest, making it obvious that she had no intentions of leaving his arms just yet.

House loosened his grip on her and led her gently to the sofa, keeping his arms around her as they sat. She leaned against him slightly, enjoying the chance to be so close.

"I'm sorry," he said simply, not knowing what else to say.

"So am I," she responded after a moment. "This is getting so frustrating. That was my third time, and still nothing. I'm about ready to give up."

House sighed. He hated seeing her broken like this; he loved her saucy spirit and quick wit, the only one in the hospital that could do battle with his own.

"Lisa," he started, not used to being so emotional, "what is the one thing in this world that you want most?"

That quieted her for a moment. She, too, had not expected to see this side of the harsh, sarcastic diagnostician. She thought about it. She knew she couldn't say him.

"A baby, I guess."

"Then never give up. Nothing that you care about that much is worth giving up on. It might be the hardest thing that you ever do, but you have to see it through. And maybe you won't be able to get pregnant by the donation. That happens. Then you'll have to re-examine what you want, and what you're willing to give up to have that," he said. Ha. The thing he wanted most was her, but he had given up on ever being with her. _Take your own advice, House,_ he thought.

Cuddy leaned back against the back of the sofa and took in his words. He meant this job, obviously. Adoption agencies were, for the most part, unwilling to place a baby in the home of a single parent who was as busy as she was. If she couldn't have her own baby, that would be her only option. They both knew what he had meant, so she didn't bother to answer him. They sat in silence for a minute, bodies still touching. Both were quite aware of the others physical presence. Finally, Cuddy looked up into his face. His eyes locked on hers. His were such a startling shade of blue, she felt as though she could get lost in them forever. And that didn't sound like such a bad idea, given the circumstances. She stared into his eyes, and for once, neither looked away.

House looked back into Cuddy's deep blue eyes, seeing them clouded with confusion and disappointment. He was quite aware of how close they were, and he could smell the lingering scents of her perfume, and her shampoo. He searched her face, looking for some sign of what she was thinking, and finding none.

He decided, on the spur of the moment, to take a chance before he lost his nerve. He instantly closed the gap between them, and pressed his lips lightly to hers. To his surprise, she didn't pull away, but rather deepened the kiss.

For a split second, Cuddy was shocked that House's lips were pressed to hers. She didn't act on her shock, though, and she naturally deepened the kiss. She snaked her hands around his neck, and tangled her fingers in his wiry hair. He responded to her touch with a soft moan into her mouth, and he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her as close to him as she could go. For a brief moment, both were blissfully unaware of anything but that kiss. Finally, both needed air, and they separated.

Cuddy didn't know what that kiss meant, but she was pretty sure it was caused solely by his desire to take her mind of the failed pregnancy. She didn't want anything to happen that would make working with him more difficult. The thought even crossed her mind that he was taking advantage of her emotional state to get some, but she quickly dismissed it. This time, he really cared.

"Greg…" she said softly, "Thank you…for everything. But I should go."

House searched her face for a moment, before his gaze dropped to the floor. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted. _I guess one kiss with her is better than none,_ he thought, and he nodded and stood.

"If there's anything you need, you know where I live," he said, answered only by a curt nod. He stood up and walked out of the office with as much dignity as he could muster, trying to hide his disappointment.


	2. An Outlet

A/N Okay, I know I also posted the first chapter today, but hey, when you get on a roll you gotta take advantage, right? I have to warn you, this chapter is quite smutty, so if you will be at all offended, I would suggest you move on to the next chapter and use your imagination as to what happened. I hate to ruin the surprise, but hey, you've been warned!

Disclaimer: Well, I haven't acquired any TV shows since the first chapter, so same still goes. I own nothing.

Lisa sat in her office after he left. His scent still lingered in the air, her lips still tingled where he had kissed her, and her body still trembled from his touch. She stared at the floor and replayed the entire situation in her mind, touched by the compassion she had seen in his eyes and felt in his touch. Compared to the tragedies that they saw in the hospital every day, her situation was of little importance, yet House had shown more kindness and sympathy for one failed fertilization process than he had shown for every cancer victim, every car accident, and every stillborn baby that had every entered the hospital.

_What does that mean?_ she thought. _Why does he care so much more about this?_ She pondered the question in silence. _It's not that someone failed to get pregnant, you idiot_ something deep inside her screamed, _It's You! It's bugging you, and he cares! He saw you crying, and he melted in front of you and became exactly what you always hoped he could be!_

Cuddy smiled. She gathered her purse and her jacket, locked up the office, and left.

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House sat in his living room, kicking himself for this afternoon. He had wanted her, and he hadn't been willing to wait to have her. He had to ruin the moment and scare her away. Just when he thought that she would finally be willing to open up to him. He took another sip of scotch, his first glass of what might turn into a long night. He sighed, about to resign himself to yet another night of loneliness, when there was a knock at his door. It was quiet, but clearly audible in the silence of the room. He walked to the door and opened it slowly, revealing a surprise that he was completely unexpected.

"Greg," she said by way of greeting, her voice slightly husky. She stepped into the apartment, reveling in the perfect atmosphere of the dim lighting. She set her bag on the floor, and took one step that covered the difference between them, covering his lips with her own, and replacing his look of shock with one of pleasure. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and tangling his hands in her hair. Her nails dug gently into his scalp as she allowed his tongue access to her mouth, intertwining his with her own. They finally parted for air, and he took a cautious step away from her, something that his body fully protested.

"Lisa, not that I don't appreciate that," he said, _believe me_ said his cock that had begun to throb between his thighs, "But what are you doing?"

"You said if I needed anything…"she started, her voice trailing off for a moment before her confidence was regained, "well, I need something."

House looked at the spark in her eyes, filled with lust that wasn't usually present. He felt himself respond eagerly, having guessed what she 'needed'. He moved to grab her again, but she stopped for a moment to slide her coat seductively off of her shoulders. Instead of the power suit that she'd been wearing in the office, he found himself looking at a gorgeous dress. The dress was strapless, and therefore a little tight around the chest, making her cleavage more visible; leaving less to the imagination. The dress was tight around her slim midsection, and framed her tight ass perfectly, before flowing smoothly down to her thigh, just a little higher than she would dare to wear to the office. He gasped at the sight of her, every movement she made making him harder. He stepped closer and finally took her back into his arms, loving the feel of her perfect body pressed against him. He kissed her again, filled with passion and desire, and her hips ground against his groin, making him moan into her mouth. He reached down to just below the hem of her dress, and started running his hand up the back of her thigh. His hand climbed her thigh as high as it could go, her body tingling at his touch. The higher she went, the stronger the slow burn that was building between her legs, and she moaned.

House's entire body responded to that moan, and his cock pressed painfully against his jeans. He loved the feel of this woman's legs, but right now what he needed was much more immediate.

"That dress looks gorgeous on you," he whispered huskily in her ear, sending ripples of pleasure and desire through her body and intensifying her need for him. "When can I take it off you?"

In response she stepped back from him slightly and raised her arms above her head. He gladly grabbed the hem of the dress and lifted upwards, feeling himself grow harder with every inch that he revealed. The dress now on the floor beside her coat, he held her at arms length for a moment, taking in the sight of her, wearing nothing but a black lace bra and panties. She cut short the inspection by grabbing his shirt as well and lifting it with ease over his head. His muscular chest was as new to her as she to him, and she rubbed her hands over it lightly. He moved his attentions to the clasp on her bra, and in a moment it had joined the rapidly growing collection of clothes on his floor. Seeing her gloriously naked breasts, the nipples already perfectly hard, was more than he could take.

"Bedroom?" he asked desperately, running his hands over her entire body.

"Later," she replied, out of breath. His hands on her hips made short work of her panties, and a moment later he was running his hand along the inside of her thigh. He ran his thumb playfully along her clit, teasing her for just a moment, and causing a deep primal moan to come from the woman in front of him. His mouth moved to her nipples, teasing each one with his tongue and his teeth, and causing glorious gasps to come from her, her nails digging into his back. She teased him too, running her hand over his groin, feeling his hardness through his jeans. Her mouth met his, and she slowly undid the button and zipper on his pants, causing them to slide to the floor. He took this opportunity, with her distracted, to slide one finger inside her, feeling her warm wetness. Her initial gasp of pleasant surprise turned into a deep moan as he moved within her, still teasing her clit with his thumb, and her nipples with his mouth. He wanted to taste her, but that would have to wait, according to his throbbing, hard cock that cried out to be inside her. She gently stroked his cock; the last thing he could handle. He intensified his treatment of her clit and she groaned, throwing her head back and giving in to him; letting him know she was more than ready.

"I need you," he growled hoarsely in her ear.

"Oh God Greg," she moaned, unable to stand it any longer, "Fuck me, Greg, I need you, please!"

He wasted no time in complying, his need for her taking over any other senses. In seconds she was lying on the couch, and he was straddling her, instincts taking over at the look of desperation in her eyes. She was more than ready for him, the slow burn having been replaced by a deep ache that she desperately needed to satisfy. But as she thought he was about to enter her, instead he again teased her clit with his cock, enjoying the way her mouth opened in a silent moan and her back arched, lifting her body closer to him.

"Please!" she moaned, and he wanted nothing more than to fulfill her request.

"Please what?" he growled into her ear, and just as she started to beg, he thrust himself deep inside of her. She cried out in pure ecstasy, lifting her hips into him. He thrust now, slow and deep, allowing her to get used to his size. He filled her, but as she loosened he was the perfect size, rubbing her in all the right places. She could feel the ecstasy burning through her, causing her more pleasure than she'd experienced in her life.

"God, Yes!" she screamed through clenched teeth, "Harder! Please!"

Greg was more than happy to comply, and he thrust into her with all he had, feeling her tighten around him. Neither of them would last much longer, he could tell as he felt her tightening around him. Her eyes widened just as he felt his own climax arriving, and he felt her nails in his shoulders and heard her yell as she let loose; her head flying back, her back arched, her hips pressed against him, her entire body completely under his control. He then allowed himself to do the same, and the two of them collapsed into a pile of sweaty, trembling limbs as he finally pulled out of her.

When he finally got the energy to look at her, she still had her head tilted back, her eyes shut, and a thoroughly satisfied smile on her face. He moved enough that he wasn't on top of her, but allowed them the moment to recuperate. He propped his head up on his hand and watched her, fully aware that she'd been completely satisfied. Her eyes finally opened and met his, and she met his grin with her own.

"Greg, that was…wow. Thank you." she said, her voice filled with complete sincerity. Her heart rate was still elevated, and her chest rose and fell with quicker breaths than usual. He stood tenderly, testing out his legs. They seemed like they would do quite nicely, so he bent and gently lifted her into his arms. She giggled, and he carried her into the bedroom, laying her down in his bed. He joined her, pulled the covers over both of them, and then pulled her into his arms, where she comfortable settled against his chest without a second thought.

"Stay with me," he whispered.

"What?" she asked, not sure if she heard him.

"Stay with me," he repeated. "Stay the night. Please Lisa?"

"I fully planned on it," she answered immediately. "Besides, I have to keep my promise, although I will need a few minutes."

He raised an eyebrow. "What promise is this?"

"You asked me if I wanted to take our sex to the bedroom, and I said later. And I fully intent to keep that promise," she explained, settling deeper beneath the sheets.

Greg couldn't believe his ears, or his luck. He thought he'd done well by kissing her! Now he…wow. _Lisa Cuddy, you will definitely not regret this night. _he thought. _I will make sure of that._

-Please Review! Seriously. Please.-


	3. The Morning After

A/N: Thanks so much for everyone who's been reviewing, it really helps! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll do my best to continue soon!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still don't own House.

House awakened with a yawn, and habitually reached for the vicadin bottle that he kept on his bedside table. He groaned at the note that his fingers found instead. –_It's gone you moron. It doesn't hurt anymore. You don't even take them anymore! Now get your sorry ass out of bed!- _His addiction had left him much quicker than these subtle, subconscious acts, like reaching for pills every morning, or for his cane as he climbed out of bed. It was hard, after so long, to get used to not needing the things that had previously seen him through. He yawned again, and stretched, looking over at the other side of the bed. For a split second, he was shocked at what he saw there, but then the previous night came flooding back to him in a flood, washing away his tiredness as he recalled the intense pleasure that they'd caused each other again and again. Slowly a grin spread across his lips as he took in the sight before him.

Lisa Cuddy was still sleeping, snuggled deep into the cocoon that the soft blankets formed around her body. So that's why he had no covers. Apparently, she'd found one of his t-shirts, because he was pretty sure that he saw a band logo on the small part of her body that he could actually see. When he'd finally fallen into an exhausted and fully satisfied sleep the night before, he'd been sure that she'd be gone when he woke up. Apparently she was taking this more seriously than he had thought. He thought about it for a moment, and decided that he was more than ok with that. Her curly dark hair fell in a tangled mess all around her face, but from where he was she still looked so beautiful. He'd never seen her look so peaceful and at ease, and he enjoyed the view. He reached out and brushed a soft strand of hair off her forehead, revealing her closed eyes. She stirred at his touch, and her eyes flickered open a moment later. She gazed up at him for a moment, and a smile slowly spread across her features as she, too, remembered the events of the night before. Apparently she approved.

"Good morning sleepy head!" he said, in his cheeriest voice. She groaned.

"Is it morning already?" she sighed. She was so comfortable. She could definitely get used to this bed. And for that matter, she could definitely get used to being in this bed with him. She shook her head, clearing the rest of the cobwebs. -_What are you thinking Lisa? Yesterday morning he was a pain in the ass, and this morning you wake up in his bed, thinking about forever? Whoa girl! Slow down!_- She sighed again, listening to her inner voice once again. One night of amazing sex was certainly not proof that Gregory House felt anything for her besides attraction, which had never been much of a mystery in the first place.

"Can I take a shower?" she asked.

"Sure. Down the hall. Towels should be in there," he replied, climbing out of bed himself. He was kind of disappointed that he'd touched her and ruined his opportunity to watch her sleep. God, she was beautiful.

"Thanks." She climbed out of bed and strolled off down the hall. He watched her the whole way, admiring the view of the t-shirt that barely covered her ass. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"Greg?" she called, from just outside the bathroom door.

"Yeah?"

"Make coffee," she said, before stepping in and closing the door.

"Yes ma'am," he muttered under his breath, too low for her to hear. Still giving orders. This time he'd indulge her and actually obey, but he told himself that it had nothing to do with her, and more to do with the fact that he could use some caffeine himself. He threw on jeans and a t-shirt, and made his way to the kitchen, turning on the coffee pot. He was hungry, and glad that he'd bought groceries a couple days before. A full box of cereal was within easy reach, and by far the easiest to prepare, so he grabbed a bowl and sat down at the table.

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Lisa stood under the hot water of the shower, allowing the strong stream to pound on her body. Usually she needed it to relax her and ease up her muscles, but this morning was definitely not one of those times. Last night had been good for her. She had finally loosened up, had some fun. She was completely satisfied. She'd had no idea that he was so good in bed, or she would have given in to him years ago. For the kind of pleasure that he caused her, she was more than willing to surrender herself to him for a night. She was willing to give herself to him permanently, although she had no idea how he felt about that. He didn't really seem the type, although yesterday he had shown an entirely different side of himself. Maybe she didn't know the man as well as she thought she did.

God! The night before had been so amazing. She remembered the feeling of his tongue on her clit, strong, slow strokes that teased her and sent her into a reckless, glorious oblivion. She shivered at the thought, in spite of the hot water pounding on her body. He'd been more than willing to completely and totally pleasure her. He hadn't just fucked her, he'd made love to her in a way that no man had ever done. If she'd thought she loved him before, the side that he'd revealed the night before pushed her even further.

But something in her was telling her that she was moving too fast; that something was wrong, or at least that this needed more thought. She had found herself in one too many unwanted relationships to blindly walk into this with at least some consideration. Besides, she didn't even know if he wanted a 'this'. They needed to talk, but she needed to think first.

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House was just finishing his breakfast and coffee when Lisa walked in, wearing a pair of his sweatpants now along with the t-shirt that she'd slept in the night before. They were both ridiculously large on her, and she'd rolled up the pant legs so she could walk without tripping over them. She had found a pair that had a drawstring around the waist, and he had tied tightly, causing the material to bunch around her hips. House grinned at the sight, thinking that she looked adorable.

"Was that your whole plan?" he asked, innocently, "You came here last night just so you could steal my wardrobe?"

"Yeah. That was it exactly. And out of everything, this was the outfit I chose." She rolled her eyes and poured herself a cup of coffee, helping herself to the cream and sugar. Her curls hung loosely, and dripped down the back of her…his…t-shirt. She looked so cute that he wanted to take her in his arms and just hug her. She turned to face him, leaning against the counter and cupping her mug in both hands. Her eyes met his over the lip of her mug as she took a long sip. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Mmm. It's good. Thanks."

"No problem. I hate to rain on this parade, but aren't you usually at work by now?" he asked, hating to bring it up but knowing that she'd be angrier if she didn't know what time it was.

"I'm off today. I had the sense to book it off, to take time to react to the results of the pregnancy test," she explained softly, her eyes dropping to the floor. He instantly regretted saying anything as he watched the old familiar hurt return to her eyes. Three tries, three failures. He knew she blamed herself, and there was nothing he could do.

"Lisa, I..." he tried, not knowing what to say or do.

"It's ok Greg. I'll be fine. I just need a bit of time. I really thought this would be the one. Besides, I need to do a lot of thinking." Her eyes met his again, and she smiled a bit, making him relax again. She would be okay.

"I'm worried about you," he said, in spite of himself.

"Don't be," she replied, "you have no reason to worry about me. It's not your problem."

"Lisa, I care about you," he said softly, looking at the ground, his heart tearing a bit, upset that she hadn't seen it. "That makes it my problem."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I should go."

He looked at her, searching her face for some hint of what she wanted, or needed, from him.

"Stay," he pleaded, softly. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard him, and she saw him more vulnerable and more open than she'd ever imagined. She loved this man desperately, but she needed some time to clear her thoughts before she went into anything. She needed to know for sure. Walking into this without being sure that it was what she wanted wasn't fair to either of them.

"Why?" she asked, needing to hear the words from him.

"Because I…I care about you Lisa." His eyes pleaded with her not to go, to stay with him. Everything in her wanted to curl up and spend the day in his arms, but she'd made her decision.

"I'm sorry. I can't." she said. Her heart broke hearing her own words, and watching the disappointment on his face. "Greg, I do have feelings for you. But yesterday…last night…was about loneliness, comfort, and need more than it was about any feelings. I need to think…to figure some things out! Alone. I'm sorry Greg, but you have to let me go for now."

He sighed. He'd been naïve to think that she could ever return the feelings that he had for her. She'd said that she had feelings for him, but if she loved him like he loved her, how could she walk out that door? He nodded.

"Thank you. I'm so sorry," she said. She slowly gathered her things and walked out without a backward glance, closing the door softly behind her. House sunk down onto the sofa. He felt defeated. Just yesterday he'd been more or less happy alone, he'd never had her! So why did it feel like his entire world just walked out that door, and took his heart with her?

A/N: Relax everyone, this isn't the end. Happy ending is in the works! Please review!


	4. How to Deal

A/N: Once again, thank you to all reviewers. I really appreciate your time and effort! I love hearing what everyone thinks! For some reason I just can't stop thinking about this story now that I've started writing it…so I'm hoping that you can expect frequent updates. (Since it's been 2 chapters a day up until this point!)

Disclaimer: Same shit different page. (a.k.a. I still don't own House.)

House went through the motions that day at work, doing all the things that he normally did. He complained about his clinic hours, he gave the nurses a hard time, he bugged Wilson, and he delegated all his paperwork to his staff. But today, in place of the rough, sarcastic humor, there was a hint of depression.

Wilson noticed, but he didn't comment. His friend was moody, and if he wanted to talk about whatever was bothering him, he would undoubtedly do so. At first, when Wilson noticed that he wasn't his usual arrogant self, he chalked it up to insomnia. But House was fully capable of functioning without sleep, so Wilson suspected that there was something more than a lack of sleep that was bothering m. Still, he chose to ignore it, yet keep as much distance between the two of them that day as possible.

House was sitting in his office, feet up on his desk, staring out the window at the brooding storm clouds that filled the sky. His mood seemed as dark as the day, and his three staff members – all excellent doctors in their own right – were concerned over how their boss was acting.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Chase, his aussie accent cutting through the silence.

"I don't know, and I don't care," replied Foreman, never looking up from the file that he was studying. "The more he stays out of our hair, the better."

"Well I'm worried about him," stated Cameron, her pretty blue eyes showing her concern.

"You're always worried about him. You really don't need to make that announcement every day," came Foreman again, starting to sound irritated.

"Well just because he rubs you the wrong way doesn't mean that you can take it out on all of us when we show a little bit of concern!" Cameron snapped back.

"Cameron, when are you going to learn that he is a miserable old bastard who doesn't deserve the amount of respect that you give him, or the amount that you care about him! He's never going to return your feelings, you might as well just give up on him like everyone else does!" Forman retorted.

"Is that what you do? Just give up on anyone who gives you a little bit of trouble? What if it takes a complicated procedure to cute a patient?" she snapped.

"Cameron, you know it's not the same thing," Chase intervened, "and as for you Foreman, if Cameron and I want to show a little concern about House, that's none business. I don't care what you think about it."

"Fine," said Foreman, raising his hands in surrender. He dropped out of the conversation, returning to his file.

Cameron mouthed a thank you to Chase, then returned her attention to House.

"So, are we going to talk to him?" she asked.

"We? Oh hell no. If you want to know, you can go talk to him. I'm staying out of this one."

"Unbelievable," Cameron sighed, dropping her file on the table and standing up. She shook her head once more at Chase before walking steadily towards House's office. She paused at the door to look at him. Usually, he would have said something to her already; would have somehow detected her presence before she spoke. Then would follow some smart-ass remark. She was used to the game that they played. She didn't enjoy it, but she was used to it. Some days she had prayed for him to stop treating her that way, but today, she was more worried that he wasn't! His back was turned to her, and his shoulders slumped as he stared out the wide, clear windows.

"Are you going to say something, or just stand there and take in the view?" he asked. "I mean, I know I'm quite nice to look at, but you're taking it a little far."

Cameron breathed an almost audible sigh of relief. So there was some of the old House there.

"We…well, I…was wondering if everything's ok," she stated simply. He wouldn't appreciate the sentiment, but he knew what she was really doing whether she told him or not.

"Well Doctor Cameron, aren't you the considerate one?" he mocked. "I'm just fantastic. Never better, actually. I mean, who can complain? I have two good legs and no drug addiction so my life must be perfect."

"House, there are people who care about you, you know."

"Yeah well, it's not the right people," he muttered.

"What?" Cameron asked, confused. House knew he had said too much.

"I mean, think about it! You care, and you come in here trying to help, which accomplishes nothing at all. At least if the man who ran the sandwich shop down the street cared about me I could get some free food out of the deal."

"You are unbelievable! You'd rather have a free Reuben Sandwich than a loyal friend?" she fumed. "Well no wonder you don't have any! Forget I asked."

She stormed out of the room, leaving House exactly where she'd found him. House was doing his best to discourage her feelings for him, and it seemed like it was finally working. On the other hand, there was another woman who he wanted to encourage a relationship with, and that wasn't working out so well.

Lisa Cuddy. She was his boss. She'd been his friend, somewhat, for a very long time. He knew that he'd always harbored feelings for her, but until now he'd managed to keep them hidden behind a veil of smoke that consisted of sarcasm, smart-ass remarks, and being an all-around pain in the ass. He didn't think she could ever have feelings for him, and so he chose to hide his own feelings rather than put himself in a vulnerable position by letting her know how he felt. He hated letting anyone have that much power over him, and he especially hated it when they knew that they did. This morning though, he'd done the one thing that he'd never done before. He'd laid all of his cards out on the table, and Cuddy had walked away with his Queen of Hearts. -_Damn, now he was thinking up stupid analogies. Maybe she IS his Queen of Hearts_- He felt like he'd been carrying the burden of his secret for years. He'd lost the secret - she knew how he felt – yet instead of feeling relief at the loss of that burden, he only felt empty. _– I guess that somewhere in the back of my mind, in that place where the ideal becomes true, I believed that if I just told her how I feel, we would be together and everything would be fine. –_ He thought. He snorted. So much for the ideal.

He finished out the day before returning home. Cuddy wouldn't even find any complaints from the clinic patients that day; he'd been quiet and polite, almost as though his spirit had left him. As soon as he walked into his door, he turned from depressed to angry.

It was one night! One night! It's not like he ever thought he'd be with her, so why the hell did it hurt so bad? Why couldn't he just get over her? He hadn't really ever had her, besides in the physical sense. He kept playing the previous night over and over in his head. He couldn't get her off his mind! She was driving him crazy! He kept hearing her words from that morning, over and over, echoing through his mind. _"I'm sorry Greg, but you have to let me go for now."_

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Lisa was curled up in the corner of the sofa in her house. She was wearing pajamas and a bathrobe, soft and warm against the dreary spring weather. April showers bring May flowers, but what is it that you gain from living through all of these March thunderstorms?

She'd tried everything to get him off her mind. She couldn't sit through a movie, or focus on a book, or even take a nap! Her mind just took a detour from wherever she wanted it to go, and ended up back at his house, in his arms, in his bed…and in his heart. She wanted those things. All day she'd been kicking herself for walking out that morning.

She'd thought she needed to think, but what was there to think about when the one thing she had always wanted was finally there for her to take?

She'd thought she was rushing into things, but was it really rushing when she'd spent countless nights dreaming about him, and countless days thinking about him ever since university?

It seemed to her that she'd been thinking about this for a VERY long time, and that this morning may have been the worst mistake of her life.

So here she was, on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate, staring out the windows into the cloud-filled sky. She'd watched the sky get darker and darker as the day went on, matching her feelings. With every minute that she thought about him, which was almost every minute, she just got angrier at herself. She couldn't believe what she had done, and she hoped to god that it wasn't too late.

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The small sound woke House from his light sleep. He'd chosen natural slumber over the alcohol-induced variety, since both achieved the desired result of allowing him a recess from his constant thoughts about her. He was pretty sure that the sound had been a knock, but he'd been too out of it to hear properly and he wasn't positive. He figured that it was probably Wilson, following in Cameron's footsteps and bugging him about his mood. He groaned, really not in the mood. He seriously considered pretending that he wasn't home, but he decided against it, got up, and wandered over to the door, opening it slowly. His mouth nearly dropped open when he saw who walked through his door.

"Lisa?" he asked, his voice quiet and unbelieving. She was standing in the hall, completely drenched from head to toe, and holding a plastic bag. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, and it was clear that her thin spring jacket was not designed for today's downpours.

"Can I come in?" she asked, teeth chattering. A shudder ran through her, and House instantly felt guilty that he hadn't invited her in immediately.

"Of course," he said, stepping aside. "What's in the bag?" he asked as he closed the door behind her.

"The clothes that I wore home this morning. I washed them before I brought them back to you."

"Lisa you didn't need to do that. Today was your day off, remember? You were supposed to relax!" he insisted. He helped her out of her coat, and noticed that the rain had soaked through and she was shivering uncontrollably.

"I d-d-didn't get much re-relax-relaxation," she said, her teeth chattering and causing her to stutter.

"Shh," he said, leading her over to his bedroom. "Let's get you out of these clothes. You can just put these ones right back on, ok?" he asked, pulling his track pants and t-shirt out of the bag. She nodded. "Do you want me to go?"

"N-no" she stuttered, softly. Her fingers were like ice, and she couldn't undo the buttons on her blouse because she was shivering. He noticed the problem, and he made short work of taking off her shirt and pants and wrapping a warm quilt, one that his mother had made, around her shoulders.

"You can take a hot shower first, if that would make you feel better. Then you can tell me whatever it is you came to say," he offered. He was dying to know why she was here, but he was also much more concerned with her well-being than with satisfying his curiosity. "And you can also tell me what possessed you to walk through the rain in the middle of March with nothing but that jacket on."

She nodded, and he walked her down the hall to the bathroom, bringing along his clothes for her to wear when she got out of the shower. He set them beside the sink, and she immediately turned on the water. She pulled the quilt away from her, and handed it to him, stepping out of her panties and taking off her bra before he could look away. He tried not to stare at her perfect, gorgeous breasts, the cold making her nipples as hard as they had been the night before. He smiled at her, turned, and left the bathroom before he made a bigger mess of things, taking the quilt with him.

He walked to the kitchen and put the coffee on for the second time that day, guessing that she would need something to warm her inside as well as out. He grinned as he thought of other ways to warm her, then pushed those thoughts out of his mind, scolding himself. He had no idea why she was here, but her words this morning made him doubt that she was here for a repeat performance.

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Lisa stood underneath the hot spray of his shower for the second time that day. The hot water burned as it ran down her cold skin, but she reveled in the feeling of being warm again. She'd been terrified the entire way over to his house, afraid that he wouldn't answer his door, or worse, that he'd turn her away once he saw who it was. She'd been too preoccupied to think about dressing sensibly, and although she'd only parked in the garage 2 blocks away, the 15 minute walk in the freezing rain had taken a serious toll on her body. _–Damn-_ she thought, -_I'm going to end up with a serious cold tomorrow. I guess I better make sure that tonight is worth it!-_

She prolonged her shower as long as possible, trying to sort out in her mind exactly what she was going to say to him. Eventually, though, she turned the water off and got ready to do the most terrifying thing of her life – talk to him.

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Greg was nursing his second cup of coffee when she walked into the kitchen, hair towel-dried and tangled, quite different than her usual put-together power look. She sat down in the chair beside his, perched nervously at the edge. She traced the grain of the table's wood with her eyes, trying to straighten out her thoughts. Funny how she'd been thinking about this all day, yet she still had no idea what to say to him.

He stood, and for a moment she feared that he was about to take up his infamous pacing. Instead, he pulled a mug from the cupboard, filled it with coffee, and, mimicking her moves from that morning, put just the right blend of cream and sugar in. He placed the mug in her hands, in her lap, and wandered over to the back of the sofa where he had placed the quilt just after she'd given it to him. Once again, he carried it over to her and wrapped it around her shoulders, being careful to tuck it in just right around her. She calmed at his touch, tilting her head back and letting out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Better?" he asked, a hand on each shoulder.

"Much," she answered, her voice soft. "Thank you Greg."

"Mhmm," he murmured, "Now tell me Lisa, what it is that is so important that you would risk freezing half to death to come here and tell me?"

"That I'm sorry," she answered, after a pause. She swirled the coffee in her mug. She watched as the liquid swirled around and around, creating a mini whirlpool.

"Don't be," he answered softly. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to hurt her by showing her how much he was hurting.

"No, I have to be. I should never have left this morning. When you told me that you had feelings for me, that should have been more than enough. I've wanted you for as long as I've known you, and all I wanted to do was stay. I thought that I should think about it more before I made any rash decisions, but Greg, I made my decision a long time ago. I want you Greg." She looked at him, her heart swelling with happiness as she watched the grin spread across his mouth.

"Lisa, I've wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and that feeling has only grown stronger the last few years. I would love to be with you," he said. And he meant it. He knew that their relationship wouldn't be easy. They wouldn't get to see each other as often as they'd both like, and they'd probably annoy each other at times, but they would be together.

Tears came to Lisa's eyes, and she stood and ran into his waiting arms. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, enjoying the perfect feel of her in his arms, now that he could call her his own. He kissed her head firmly now, making sure that she could feel it, and he squeezed him tight, looking up into his eyes. He'd never seen her look so beautiful as she did before him now; hair in a mess, no makeup, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and wearing his t-shirt and pants. She had the most beautiful smile on her face, as though she'd never been truly happy before that moment. And Lisa was thinking the same thing, that she didn't think she'd ever been truly happy before that moment.

He rubbed her back, then stopped suddenly in shock as he realized that she wasn't wearing a bra under his shirt. She grinned as she saw his eyes widen, and she felt his muscles stiffen slightly as he thought about her hard nipples, loose under just one layer of clothing, within his reach. The only thing holding him back from ripping his shirt off her right now was the fear of her reaction.

Lisa studied his eyes for a brief second, then stood on her tiptoes and brought her mouth to his ear. "I'm not wearing panties either," she whispered huskily. A groan came from deep in his throat as he felt himself become aroused by her presence, her words, and the memory of the night before. He placed a single kiss on her lips before lifting her in his arms and taking her into his bedroom.

A/N: Ok all, I would LOVE to hear what you think. Please tale a minute to review, and let me know if you have any ideas about where you think this should go! I have a few ideas…


	5. Interruptions

A/N: Hey ya'll, sorry this took so long to post. I really appreciate all reviewers, and all of you who've stuck with this story! Please take a minute to review this! (I need the suggestions! Haha)

Disclaimer: Well, I'm fairly sure we all know that I don't own House, but just in case you didn't…consider yourselves informed: )

Dr. Lisa Cuddy sat behind her desk, intently studying a patient's chart when House walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Whatcha doin?" he asked, in his best kid voice.

"My job," came the reply, without even looking up.

"How boring," he said. He walked over and tried to kiss her, but she put her hand up to his mouth and effectively kept his face away from hers. "Oh come on! After a month, you finally decide to cut me off from being unprofessional at work?"

"House, it's your patient!" she said.

"I don't have a patient," he pointed out, confused.

"Perfect! Because you do now," she said, looking up at him.

"Liiiiissssaaaaa," he protested.

"You're a doctor here, you're perfectly capable of having a patient now and again. Besides, you think I don't know that you've missed clinic duty for this whole week," she said, crossing her arms. He sat in one of the chairs across from her, and put his feet up on her desk, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"And what's so interesting about this patient anyway?"

"Why don't you look at the file?"

"It's more fun when you read it to me," he mocked.

"Fine. 32 year old male, presents with stabbing chest pains, cough, chest tenderness, shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue," she said, from memory.

"Asthma."

"Nope."

"Pneumonia?"

"Nope."

"Give me that," he said, snapping his head up, grabbing the file, and walking toward the door.

"Interested?" she teased as he went.

"Nah, but Cameron's bored," he lied, closing the door. Lisa laughed and shook her head. What was she going to do with him?

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"32 year old male, presents with stabbing chest pains, cough, chest tenderness, shortness of breath, then came fever, and fatigue. And it's not asthma or pneumonia." House said, walking into his team's office and tossing the folder on the table.

"Hello to you too," Chase muttered under his breath.

"Pleurisy?" asked Cameron, opening the file.

"No, doesn't explain the fatigue or the fever." Foreman argued.

"No, but Dilantin can cause Pleurisy, and fever and fatigue are side-effects." Chase stated.

"So can hydralazine, and procinamide." Foreman added, reluctantly agreeing with Chase.

"Problem. Patient has no history of seizures, hypertension, or arrhythmia." Cameron argued, reading off the patient's chart. "Patient is from Mexico. Immigrated 4 years ago. Works on a farm outside of town. Has a wife and kids."

"Medical records from Mexico?" Chase asked.

"No, but he didn't mention anything." Cameron said.

"Then that gives us two problems." House said, "First off, people lie. Secondly, he's from Mexico. Do you really think that he needs a prescription to get his hands on drugs?"

"House, it's not like those drugs would get him high! He'd have no reason to take them if he didn't have the condition!" Cameron argued.

"Doesn't matter. Do the tests. Chase, you do a tox screen, Foreman, get a chest x-ray. Let's figure out whether this is pleurisy or not before we start basing all of our diagnoses on that."

"What do I do?" asked Cameron.

"You go talk to the patient."

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"So, you're sure? You've never had seizures, hyper-…high blood pressure, or irregular heart beat?" Cameron asked, choosing her words carefully so that she would be understood.

"No. No seizures. And no hypertension or arrhythmia Dr. Cameron," said Pablo, his accent heavy, yet relatively easily understood.

"You speak English very well," she commented, with surprise.

"Gracias. I've been learning since I was a child."

"And you've never taken any prescription medication?"

"No ma'am. Nothing."

"Do you get any exposure to cleaning supplies, like say, ammonia, where you work?"

"No ma'am," he laughed. "You know, nobody wastes too much time sanitizing a cattle farm. We pretty much just hose it down and call it a day."

"I guess so. Thanks Pablo, I'll get back to you if I have any more questions."

"No problemo senorita, gracias." Pablo answered as she walked out the door.

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"It is pleurisy," Foreman announced, "Classic fluid build up between the visceral and parietal linings."

"So we can explain most of the symptoms from the pleural effusion." House said, circling the explainable symptoms on the white board. "What about the fever and fatigue. Chase?"

"Tox screen was clear. Traces of ibuprofen, but that's explainable if he was trying to control the pain before he came in. But he doesn't have to have the drugs in his system right now for it to be what caused this."

"Patient says no seizures, no hypertension, no arrhythmia and no prescription meds…ever." Cameron added.

"He's only been in the U.S. for four years, but he told you that he had no history of hypertension or arrhythmia? In those words?" Foreman said, skeptically.

"Actually, yes." Cameron said, angrily. "Just because he's Mexican doesn't mean he's stupid."

"No," said House, "But he still might be lying. What about ammonia?"

"Says he's had no contact. He pointed out that it's rather pointless to sanitize a cattle farm. He made a good point." Cameron pointed out, glaring at House.

"It's probably just some bacterial infection. We should treat the pleurisy, and give him a general round of antibiotics. If that takes care of it, we're done." Chase suggested.

"It could be a lung infarction," Foreman mentioned.

"Coming from someone who's had an infarction, I'm telling you, this guy would have taken a lot more notice if this had included muscle death." House scoffed.

"Could be cancer of the lungs, or cirrhosis," Cameron suggested.

"Any other ideas for treatment?" House asked. No one answered. "Well then, I guess we're going with the dumb one. Splint his chest, and drain off the fluid. If it comes back, we'll look for cancer. And test his liver. And Chase, go ahead and give him the antibiotics. I want him monitored overnight though."

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"Greg!" called Cuddy, running to join him in the elevator. The doors shut, and he grabbed her and kissed her. She deepened the kiss, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You coming home tonight?" she asked.

"Your home or my home?"

"Either."

"Mine." He sighed, "I like yours better, but I have to be on call for this patient."

"Mmm. And you actually did your clinic hours today. Have I ever told you that a man showing responsibility turns me on?" she

said, when the ding of the elevator stopping at a floor told them that they were about to have company. They stepped away from each other quickly, trying to look composed.

"Oh, House, there you are," Cameron said, stepping into the elevator.

"What do you want?" he asked, hoping that none of Cuddy's lipstick was still on his lips.

"We did the splint. The pain and the shortness of breath are gone. But the cough's still there." Cameron announced. "There's something else. And the general antibiotics aren't helping. He's feeling better from the lack of pain, but he's not really getting any better."

"Any new fluid since you drained him?" House asked.

"Nope. Cancer's out." She replied.

"Damn. I guess it's time for a new theory."

"Oh, yeah, and his family's here," she added with a smirk, getting off the elevator. "All six of them."

"Joy."

"Greg,…" Lisa started.

"No! You can't make me stay! You were turned on!" he argued half-heartedly.

"Call me," she winked, leaving the elevator and heading to her car, swaying her hips a little bit more than normal, just to drive him wild.

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"We need to start treating him for specific bacteria," House said, walking into the office where his team was assembled.

"That will take forever!" protested Chase, "We don't even know where to start!"

"Of course you do," he said, "You can start by ruling out the ones that don't cause cough, fever, and fatigue! And one of you talk to the wife, try to figure out if she has any idea where he could have picked anything up."

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"That farm where he…trabaje…works," said Lina, Pablo's wife. "It is disgusting. Animals, manure,…the farms in Mexico are much cleaner." Her accent was much heavier than his, and Cameron had a hard time deciphering when she was speaking English, and when she reverted to her native language for words that she couldn't think of.

"What animals are there?" Cameron asked.

"Solamente vacas," she answered immediately. Cameron looked confused.

"She said only cows. My dad works at a cattle farm. They care for the cows and sell the milk," came a voice. It was a young girl, probably about 8, but the oldest of the 5 siblings. She was sitting on the couch behind where her mother stood, and she was holding her little brother, not yet out of diapers.

"Thanks." Cameron said, "They have no birds at all? No chickens, turkeys, anything? Not even one?"

"No. It's a dairy operation. The owner doesn't like animals, he's just in it for the money. He can barely stand to have the cows around. But when he can pay my dad such poor wages to do all the work for him, it doesn't really matter."

"Sara, Kayate!" her mother yelled.

"Mama, ella es una doctora! We have to answer her questions. She's trying to save Dad."

"Ok. I will tell you," her mother said. "We have hard times at home. Is hard with 5 babies and small income. Pablo works farm alone, he make small wage, but he works many hours to make money for us. We are Catholic, we could not control when babies come. There are too many to feed some days. But home is clean, and food is good. If Pablo got sick from home, we all would be sick. The only other place he goes is work."

"Thank you."

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"So mom is defensive about home huh. Interesting," House said, sitting behind his own desk playing with his gameboy.

"She makes a good point, House. If their home was contaminated, they all would be. He must have picked it up at the farm," she said. Just then, Cameron's pager beeped loudly. She looked at it, then looked up at him with a frown. "Well, whatever he's been infected with, we have to figure it out soon. His kidneys are failing."

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"So, we have another symptom to add to the list. Kidney failure. What do these things have in common?" House asked, standing in front of the white bored. The little grin in the corner of his mouth told them that he knew something.

"Spill House," demanded Foreman. "We're too tired to play your games."

"Lady and Gentlemen, I present to you, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis." House said, proudly displaying his list of symptoms.

"T.B.? But how?" Chase asked, amazed.

"Tuberculosis caused the fatigue and fever first, which he wouldn't have noticed because he's always fatigued from working too many hours. Then came the cough, which he would have dismissed as just a cold. Then it brought out the pleurisy, which is hard to ignore, which brought him here. Now it's moved on to his kidneys. I'm doubtful that he was vaccinated in Mexico." House explained proudly.

"T.B. is an airborne virus, if he had T.B., his family would have it too, especially when his is this advanced." Cameron said.

"Uh-uh." House shook his head. "I must have forgotten to be specific. There was another word in the bacteria name, I know it….hmmm…something to do with…no, umm, …why do I have this urge to moo?"

"Of course!" Chase exclaimed. "Mycobacterium bovis. Comes from cows."

"No," said Cameron, "It doesn't come from cows, it comes from drinking un-pasteurized milk. You don't get that just from working at a dairy farm."

"I'm going to talk to him. I'm betting that Pablo was taking a little off the top for himself. The top of the milk jug."

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"No! Absolutely not. I would never drink the milk. That's stealing."

"Yeah, well, morals are fantastic. Especially when somebody's looking. But I'm betting that you've been taking a bit of the milk for yourself. With your family situation the way it is, it's no doubt. I mean, all those kids, not enough money. It was the way you could get what he owed you, after he kept stiffing you on your check, right?"

"No. I would never…"

"Listen! Maybe I haven't made myself clear. If you don't tell me the truth right now, you are going to DIE. And then nobody will be providing for your little family. Do you understand me? I won't even tell anyone, it can be our little secret." House looked down at him. He looked distressed, and unsure of himself. After a long pause, Pablo finally met his eyes.

"Fine. I stole some milk. I take a little bit every night, just enough to give it to my family. I haven't even drunk any!"

"And I suppose the easiest way to take it is before it's been pasteurized."

"Sí."

"Wait, what do you mean you've never drank any. Ever? None. Not even one sip?" House said, confused.

"No. Never. Ever. Just enough for my family. I drink only water."

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"Test the wife. And him. Chest x-rays and skin tests." House ordered, walking into the hallway where his team stood.

"For what?" asked Cameron.

"Have you missed something? T.B. is the running theory!" House said.

"Yeah, but the wife?" asked Foreman.

"His kids are all vaccinated. He says only his family drank the milk that he took. What he got must have been airborne."

"Wait, if he caught it from her, why is she not showing symptoms?" asked Chase.

"Because something's compromising his immune system. Just test them and get back to me." He ordered.

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"House, you were right. Both positive for T.B." Foreman sighed, entering the office.

"We started them both on Streptomycin, but we still don't know what caused his compromised immune system." Chase added.

"I know." Cameron said, from the doorway. "I just talked with his wife. Because of the order of the symptoms, it didn't make sense to me that the fever and fatigue came after pleurisy."

"That's true," said Foreman. House gave her a look, wondering where she was going with this.

"That's because the T.B. didn't cause the pleurisy. His wife admitted to giving him Procainamide. Apparently a friend of hers has an arrhythmia. She heard that the medication would make her husband infertile. Making sure that there would be no more children would certainly ease the burden on that family. But she knew he would never agree to an operation. So she slipped the meds into his drinks, and into his food. In certain patients, and in high amounts, that drug causes pleurisy, just like we said to begin with. Unfortunately, another side effect is a lower white blood count, and compromised immune system. So when he brought home the contaminated milk, and his wife got sick, he was more susceptible to the airborne virus."

"So his immune system couldn't hold off the symptoms of T.B. like hers could. He ended up here, with all the symptoms. The pleurisy wasn't a symptom of the T.B., it came before it! We were treating two separate things the whole time." Chase said, amazed.

"Well that was certainly a merry chase to go on just to end up back where we started." House said, disappointed that he had missed his date with Cuddy just to end up with their first diagnosis.

"The important thing is she won't do it again, and they'll both be fine with the treatment," sighed Cameron.

"Mmm. Goodnight all," House said, "I'm going home."

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Lisa Cuddy awoke to the sound of her front door opening. Scared, she quietly slid out of bed and peeked through the curtains into her front yard. She relaxed instantly when she saw the motorcycle parked in her driveway, and a smile slowly spread across her lips…

A/N: All right ya'll, there it is! It will continue, and feedback is appreciated! Please review!


	6. What's Blue and Fluffy?

A.N. Okay all, I'm SO sorry that this took so long, I had no idea where to take this. I hope this meets everyone's approval…I wanted to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed this so far. You guys make me so happy: )

Disclaimer: How about we change this so that I tell you if I ever DO own House, because this is just getting depressing…

"What are you smiling about?" Wilson asked, falling in beside House as he walked towards the clinic. "You never smile about clinic duty."

"I'm not smiling," House argued, but futilely since Wilson could plainly see otherwise.

"Mhmm. How about the reason now?" Wilson bugged him. "Come on, pass the joy!"

"Sorry. You wouldn't enjoy it as much as I do." House said, thinking about the previous night's rendezvous with Cuddy. They'd been together for a month and a half now, and the sex had only gotten better. He'd had no idea that the woman was such an animal. His grin widened as he thought about that morning's shower. Too bad there was no hot water left by the time they finished…

"Okay, seriously. In a minute you're going to start giggling. I would really like to be privy to whatever information can cause _you_ of all people to giggle on the way to clinic duty." Wilson was frustrated with his friend. Something had made him significantly easier to deal with this past little while, and he was dying of curiosity. He wanted to know what on earth could make HOUSE happy.

"Okay okay, since you FORCED it out of me, I'll share the little joke I just heard."

"A joke? This _must_ be good."

"Sure is. What's blue and fluffy?" House asked, thinking back to a childhood favorite.

"I don't know, House, what's blue and fluffy?" Wilson asked, an incredulous look on his face. This was the joke that had House grinning from ear to ear?

"Blue fluff." House answered, grabbing a patient folder off the top of the stack and walking into an exam room, leaving a very confused Wilson standing alone in the hall.

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"Hey," said a familiar voice from the door of the exam room. House had just finished prescribing antibiotics for a young boy who was brought in by a worried mother after an ear infection had kept them both up all night.

"Hi," House replied, before turning his attention back to the mother. "Just have him take a tablespoon of that twice a day and he should be good as new in a few days. If not, you can always trade him in for a newer model." The boy giggled at that, and the mother lifted him off the exam table and headed for the door.

"Thank you doctor," she said, smiling at him before leaving the room.

"Wow." Cuddy said, coming to him and sitting in the spot that the boy had vacated. "I never thought I would see that in one of your exam rooms. Not only did you have them both smiling, but she actually _thanked_ you. Are you feeling ok?"

"Ha ha. Very funny, Doctor Cuddy," he replied, standing and walking over to her. "Are you here to play a little doctor?"

"You wish. You know I said not at work."

"Ha! Was that before or after our little escapade on your desk?" he joked.

"Oh shut up, Greg," she chided. "If my morals slip every now and again, it's entirely your fault."

"My fault? _My fault_? Little, innocent me? How do you figure?" he asked, snaking his arms around her waist.

"Like you don't know! Can we talk though, seriously?"

"You mean you seriously want to talk, or you want to have a serious conversation?" he asked.

"I would like to have a serious conversation," she said softly, looking lovingly into his eyes.

"In exam room 4?"

"Why not?"

"How can you have a serious conversation while all of those germs are hovering around in here, just waiting to pounce and give you some unfortunate malady?" he joked. She tried to hide an involuntary shudder, but he felt it easily and smiled. "Besides, it's just so cold and impersonal."

"Fine, Greg. My office. But if you even _suggest_ a repeat of the desk incident, there will be no sex for a week," she threatened. She knew that she enjoyed it far too much to actually take sex away from him, but she was trying to demonstrate that she was quite serious about talking.

"Yes ma'am," he replied, realizing that she meant business. He followed her to her office in silence. He tried to look as though he was in trouble, and he actually got a sympathetic look! Being nicer certainly had some interesting effects… They finally reached Cuddy's office and she closed and locked the door behind them. He thought about making a comment about the two of them on her desk, but he thought the better of it. He looked at her, mild curiosity in his features. She seemed nervous to talk to him, which he'd never seen before. He wanted to know what was on her mind, but he decided that he should wait until she was ready. He was getting to miss clinic duty, after all – she could take as long as she wanted!

"Greg," she started cautiously, forsaking her desk chair and choosing the more comfortable perch of her office sofa.

"Yes?" he replied, displaying only a mild interest instead of the burning curiosity that he was feeling.

"Remember the…the night this all started?"

"You mean the night that you made me regret not taking advantage of you earlier?" he asked, unable to resist the temptation of bugging her about their sex life. She rewarded his effort with a glare.

"Perhaps I should have said the _afternoon_ that this all started," she corrected herself, frustrated at his casual attitude. Although, she had to admit that she was being kind of hard on him considering that he had no idea what she was so worked up about.

"Of course I remember," he said softly, hating to recall the look he'd seen on her face as he witnessed the aftermath of another failed pregnancy attempt.

"You know how much I want a baby, Greg. I hate to bring this up now, but as they say, I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to miss my chance, and I don't want to be mistaken for my child's grandmother either. You do know how much I want a baby, right?" she asked him, meeting his eyes with a deep longing written plainly on her face.

"I do."

"I was wondering how…how you would feel about trying for one," she admitted, barely above a whisper. Greg leaned back with a sigh. How would he feel about trying for a baby? He should have known that this would come up. He kicked himself for not expecting it. Trying for a baby was one thing, and the trying would certainly be the fun part. The baby, however, was an entirely different story. Sure, those little bundles in the nursery didn't look too terrible, but of course those little bundles grew up to be the little brats that he treated in the clinic. The ones with the runny noses, and the ear infections, and the dirty faces and hands. Then that thought faded and he pictured a little girl with dark curly hair and his eyes crawling up into his lap and cuddling against him. He pictured himself in Lisa's backyard tossing a little boy up in the air – and the little boy had Lisa's eyes.

"I would love to try for a baby," he whispered. She looked at him in shock.

"What?" she asked, not daring to believe that she'd heard him correctly. She was had expected him to begrudgingly agree to try, after a little convincing on her part, but she had never expected him to say that he wanted to.

"I said I would love to have a child with you, Lisa," he laughed at the incredulous look on her face. He couldn't help picture those two kids again, sitting there in her lap as she read them a bedtime story. She looked even more shocked.

"You mean you…you actually _want_ a child?" she gasped. He chucked and took her into his arms, pulling her against his chest. She was reluctant for a moment, but then she laid her head on his shoulder and decided to enjoy the closeness and warmth.

"Lisa, I didn't know half of the things I wanted until you came along. I didn't think I ever wanted a serious relationship again after Stacy, but here you are anyway, a million times better than her. I didn't think I would ever want children, but when I think about having them with you, it seems so right that I have to want it," he explained softly. He kissed the top of her head through her hair. "And I never thought that I could _ever_ love someone as much as I love you."

That was new. Since the day when they'd both admitted their feelings for each other, they hadn't spoken openly about them again. Although they both felt it, they had yet to say those three little words that would take their relationship to the next level. They had both been afraid of moving to fast – thinking that their newfound bond was too fragile to withstand something like that.

Lisa's heart soared as she heard those precious words. He loved her. She was so in love with him, and here he was saying that he loved her more than he'd ever thought possible? Did that mean that he loved her more than he'd ever loved Stacy? She never thought that she would hear those words from him. Not only did he love her, but he actually _wanted _to have a child with her. Actually, he'd said child_ren._ At that moment, she was more than willing to have as many as he'd agree to.

"You…Oh Greg," she said, "I love you too! So much!" she explained, wrapping his arms around his middle and squeezing herself against him. It was his turn to be thrilled by those words. Stacy had said them to him often enough, and he'd returned them, but that felt hollow compared to the depth of the feeling that he had for Lisa. "And, you actually want to have a baby? You want _me_ to have _your_ baby?"

"You and only you," he said, leaning down to meet her lips in a soft kiss.

"That's good," she whispered.

"Why's that?" he chuckled.

"Because I think I might already be pregnant."

A.N. All right, there she blows. Hehe. I'm not sure how that was, so reviews would be much appreciated. Now you understand where the title came from…hopefully. Hehe. Hugs and kisses to all reviewers, seriously! Xo.


	7. Testing

A/N: Well, I am back in residence at university, and I have stopped working like I was over Christmas break, so hopefully I'll have time to write more. Of course, at this point I could just be writing to avoid doing other work….P.S. lots of hugs and kisses to everybody who's been reviewing! I love you all!

Disclaimer: still not mine

House sat back against the sofa in Cuddy's office. He blinked. It didn't clear his head as he'd hoped. Pregnant? Lisa? _Pregnant?_ And with his child? Wow. He had NOT seen that coming. He'd known she wanted a baby, but he never thought about her being…

"Greg?" she asked softly, "are you ok?"

"Yeah," he replied after a moment, meeting her eyes. "Are you sure, Lise?"

"Not positive, no. But I'm almost two weeks late for my period, which would make me about a month along, if it's true. I've been slightly nauseous in the mornings for the last week or so, but nothing big so far. I wanted to tell you about my…suspicions … before I found out for sure. I wanted to know if you were ok with it," she confessed matter-of-factly.

"I have to admit, I haven't really thought about it before right now. The fact that I might actually be having a child now will take some getting used to, but I was telling the truth when I said that I wanted it." House admitted, speaking quietly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked. She was shocked at his apology, since she had just been thrilled to hear that he wanted her to have his baby.

"For not having thought about this. I should have known that it would happen eventually. I really do love you, Lisa Cuddy," he met her eyes. She was amazed at the tenderness that she saw in his face. This could not be the Greg House that she knew. It couldn't be the House that berated patients, struck terror into the hearts of clinic nurses, and annoyed every other doctor in the hospital. It couldn't be the Greg House whose sharp tongue and harsh criticism had sent many an intern home in tears. It couldn't be the man that was despised by most everyone. But it was Greg House…the one that loved her. The one that was in love with her. The one that held her, and made love to her, and now was willing to be the father of her baby.

"I love you too, Greg," she whispered, her eyes tearing.

"Damn it, I can't stand this suspense. Can we just get a test and find out for sure?" he asked, effectively ruining the moment. Cuddy grinned ruefully. So much for their tender, romantic moment. Oh well, this was House after all, and she couldn't expect that to last for long.

"I guess, yeah," she answered, lowering her eyes to the floor. House looked at her for a moment before reaching out and placing a hand on her knee.

"Lise, what's wrong?" he asked. After a moment he used his other hand to gently lift her chin. She met his eyes after a moment, not looking at all like her usual confident self. He gave her his goofiest inquisitive look, aiming for a smile.

"Nothing. It's just that,…well, I mean, I've been wanting a baby for a long time. I mean, you know how much I want this!" her eyes pleaded with him to understand. "You've been there while I tried three times to get pregnant, and failed all three times. I mean, after thinking about this the past few days, I don't know if I'll be able to take it if the test is negative."

Greg sighed and reached out, taking her in his arms. He pulled her against his chest and sat for a moment in silence, holding her. "Lise, it's okay. It's okay."

She was quiet against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat. The stress of her everyday life was slowly eroding, and she took a deep breath. She thought about the Greg House that she'd known for so long, and thanked the heavens that she was finally getting the chance to see this side of him that she'd never imagined existed. She let out a sob. She could feel him instantly tense up in response, and he held her closer and gently kissed the top of her head.

"Lisa, how about we just get the test and then go from there? And you know what? Listen, if it's negative, we'll just keep trying. We'll make this happen if you want it so badly, ok?" he whispered into her hair. Usually, he would have been saying something rude, inappropriate, or degrading to someone in this situation, but right now he would never dream of saying anything to hurt her. He could argue and fight and bicker with her shamelessly under normal circumstances, but as soon as he saw her this fragile he could never dream of hurting her any more.

"Really?" she smiled up at him through the tears that threatened to spill.

"Of course."

"Thank you Greg."

"Yeah, mmhmm, okay, can we find out if you're pregnant, like, now?"

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"Lisa," House announced, annoyed. "Lisa, it's been two minutes. Will you _please_ just look at the damn thing and tell me what it says?"

Cuddy sighed. She got up slowly and walked over to the bathroom counter. She closed her eyes and picked up the pregnancy test. Her hand shook slightly; she wanted to know, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to look.

"Oh my god. To hell with it, Cuddy, just give me the damn thing," he said, standing up grumpily. Her eyes snapped open.

"House," she whispered, taking in the results of the test. She paused and took a long breath; he was frozen in place. "I certainly hope you're not going to talk to our child that way!"

A/N: All right, ya'll, sorry about the shortness. I'll try to do better next time! Please review!


	8. Mood Swings?

A.N. Okay ya'll, here it is. I know it's been forever, and you're probably getting tired of my apologies at the beginning of each chapter, but to be fair, I AM in the middle of University and exams and such, and therefore it is rather impossible to update regularly. But I still appreciate reviews, so PLEASE leave me a note. :) Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own House. And if I happen to use any music in this chapter, which I haven't decided yet, I don't own it either.

Lisa's breath caught in her throat for an instant as she felt the cold gel spread over her abdomen. She was about three months pregnant, and so far no one except the two of them knew. She knew that even these two months of keeping the secret was pushing it, but since nobody knew about them yet, they thought it would be best to wait before revealing their imminent family. They both knew that with the announcement of the pregnancy with come problems for both of them in the workplace, so they would wait as long as possible before going public.

In the beginning, House had suggested that she announce her pregnancy, but simply claim it as a result of the artificial insemination. But she loved him, and she would make no apologies for the way that she felt. She had decided right then and there that she would rather deal with the board and any consequences than deny her feelings for him. He still happened to think that she should avoid the grief if at all possible, but she was going to make a stand and confess her love in public; consequences be damned. But for now, she was going to enjoy her first sonogram, and catch the first glimpse of her baby.

The doctor, following procedure, had the screen turned away from Lisa and Greg as she made her initial observations and tried to get an idea about the health of the baby. Lisa smiled, and looked down at her fingers intertwined with his rough ones. You'd think, being a doctor and a musician, that House would have soft, smooth hands. But a combination of his motorcycle, and him working hard the past weekend to move into her house had left his hands rough and even slightly callused. He ran his thumb gently along her hand, softly reassuring her without even thinking about it. He was expectantly facing the doctor, a petit woman with soft grey hair and glasses.

"Can we see our daughter yet or what?" he demanded, not completely impolitely.

"House, she's just following procedure," Lisa reprimanded, "And besides, it's a boy."

"You don't know," he answered defiantly. "I think that it is going to be an adorable little girl. And nothing you can say is going to convince me otherwise."

"Do you two want to know the sex of the baby?" the doctor questioned softly.

"Can you tell?" Lisa breathed, shocked.

"Not on this sonogram, no. It's too early. It will go in your file though as to whether you want to know or if you want a surprise. So would you like to know the sex of the baby?"

"Yes," said House immediately.

"No," Cuddy said, at the same time. She looked up at House and he stuck his tongue out at her in his classic immature look.

"Okay," the doctor laughed, "I'll just put unsure. But you two really need to figure that out at some point. Now, are you ready for your first look at your baby?"

Lisa just nodded, and the woman reached up and turned the screen to face them. Lisa grinned and her eyes brimmed with tears as she took her first look at the tiny form on the screen. It was barely discernable, and she likely wouldn't have even known what to look for if not for her medical training.

She trembled slightly, and House squeezed her hand once, softly. It was barely there; just enough to tell her he was with her. She met his eyes for a second before looking back at her baby on the screen. In that moment, she felt so much love for that baby that she could never imagine anything better.

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"Doctor Wilson," said Cameron, approaching the older man cautiously as he unlocked the door to his office, "Do you have a minute?"

Wilson inwardly groaned. He wondered what moral dilemma House had caused the girl now. He was getting tired of cleaning up House's messes, and attempting to save his friend's job. He nodded, and ushered her into his office.

"What is it this time, Doctor Cameron?" he asked, with a hint of annoyance, as he sifted through some of the papers on his desk, looking for a specific file that he needed for a consultation he had in a few minutes.

"It's House," she started.

"I kind of assumed," he interrupted sarcastically, "What did he do this time?"

"Oh, he hasn't done anything," she said, looking at the floor. She wasn't usually this nervous when she was ratting him out, so this must be something either terribly bad, embarrassing, or completely different. "He…well he hasn't been himself lately. I mean, he goes to clinic, he doesn't avoid Cuddy anymore, and he hasn't been nearly as grumpy. And the other day I caught him standing in front of the nursery window. And I don't think any of those babies were even sick! He's acting really strange, and although I never thought I would be concerned about him being happier, but I'm just worried about him."

"I've noticed that too," Wilson admitted, laying his hands on the paper that he'd been looking for. "It probably has a very simple explanation, like that he's been getting some, or that his leg doesn't hurt as much right now. I wouldn't worry about it."

Cameron nodded slowly, thanked him, and left his office. But it was Wilson's turn to think about House's new attitude. He had dismissed it, but the fact that other people were noticing it also made it all the more interesting. The other thing that he had noticed was that Cuddy was ecstatic. He wondered if the two were connected, but decided that there was no way. He decided to chalk another one up to House's ridiculous self, for now.

A.N. Okay ya'll, sorry that was such a short chapter, but I'm in the middle of exams and I pretty much just wanted to get something out there. Anywho, please review, and I'll try to post again soon. Turns out writing is a great way to procrastinate. Plus also…anyone in the mood to be a beta?? Lots of Love! –Sarah


	9. Five letter Word for Moral Degenerate

A.N. Okay, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: "Sarah, you're in the middle of exams at University! What the hell are you doing updating your story again so soon??" Well, here's my answer, "I am so bored and tired of studying, and this is the most entertaining method of procrastination. So, although this chapter may be short, here it is. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Is this really necessary?? Actually, does ANYONE own House?? Or is it just Fox in general? I don't get it. Anyway, it's not me.

Lisa's heels clipped against the tile floor of the hall as she marched toward House's office. She wore the no-nonsense look on her face that made her employees steer clear, as well as her business skirt and a knit sweater. The weather had taken a turn for the worst, and she was pleased that she could use it as an excuse to wear thicker, less skin-tight clothing. Glancing through the window into the diagnostics team's main office, she caught Foreman's eye momentarily before noting House's absence. Apparently he'd taken note of her look, because the three of them discretely got up and slipped through the door, retreating down the hallway as she burst through the door of House's personal office space.

"House, what the hell were you thinking?" she yelled, slamming the door behind her and closing the blinds.

He was sitting behind his desk, with one leg propped up as usual. He had a Rubix cube in his hands, and she noticed that each side was a solid colour. He'd solved the puzzle, as usual.

"Dr. Cuddy, can I help you?" he asked, meeting her eyes with a mischievous sparkle in his own.

"House," she said again, her voice still raised, "You should know better than to pull stunts like that!"

"Okay, Cuddy," he said, sounding patronizing, "Perhaps you don't quite understand this process. Allow me to enlighten you. Pretending to be furious with me is an excellent excuse to come see me, but the pretending is supposed to stop when you get in here."

"House," she growled, "I am NOT pretending."

"Oh," he said, sounding more bewildered than concerned. "Well then, fire away!""You are completely uncontrollable! A man comes in with a headache, and you badger him about erectile dysfunction? Since when is a headache not just a headache?"

"Since it only occurs the morning after he gets laid!" he barked back.

"What does getting laid have to do with anything, besides the fact that you won't be after this?"

"The logical conclusion is that he is taking Viagra."

"Why? Because no man over 40 can get it up on his own? I think me being pregnant is evidence to the contrary, unless you popped the little purple pill."

"Of course not. But Viagra ups the blood flow, which can cause headaches if the veins in his head aren't wide enough. If he doesn't calm down, he's liable to give himself a stroke. And then one side of his penis wouldn't work right, and whatever would he do?"

"House," she cautioned, "I am not in the mood for jokes. You have no proof of any of this. He was very offended! He came in this morning to give me a very detailed description of how he and his wife were still having amazing, all-natural sex. And we're talking VERY detailed. Trust me, mental pictures like that do not mix well with my morning sickness."

"No proof? Oh, can you tell me what the new tests are that we're supposed to do? Because if a positive tox screen doesn't count as proof anymore, perhaps the head of diagnostics should know," he snarled. He was tired of this fight already.

"You ran a tox screen? Did he know about this?"

"Of course he did! He was there when I took his blood. He tested positive for Viagra, and had an abnormally high blood pressure. He shouldn't even be taking the things!"

"Oh," she responded after reading the report that he'd finally found in the mess on his desk. "I wonder why he would so adamantly deny that to his doctors? Especially if he knew you were doing a screen. Why would he say that he didn't take them?"

"He probably isn't," House responded, his attention on something else he'd found on his desk – a photocopy of the previous day's crossword puzzle that was only have done.

"But the tox screen…" she mumbled, confused.

"For God sakes Cuddy, if you'd been married to him and having "great sex" for twenty years, would you want to tell him that he wasn't doing it for you anymore? Wouldn't you find it easier to drop a Viagra in his coffee before you hop on the good foot and do the bad thing? Ten bucks says it's the wife. Somebody ought to tell her she's going to kill her husband if she keeps that up. Shot not."

"Wonderful," she mumbled, turning to leave.

"Cuddy," he called. She turned, her hand on the door handle. "What's a five letter word for moral degenerate?"

"That's easy," she sneered. "It's _House_."

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"What was that about?" Chase asked, walking into House's office half an hour later, the other two following behind him.

"She wants me." House answered.

"But seriously," said Foreman.

"Wow!" interjected Cameron. "Did you do this?" She picked up the completed cube.

"Nope," he answered. "I started, for about a minute. It would have taken too long. I pulled off all the stickers and put them back where they belong."

"Seriously?" Foreman asked, incredulous.

"Sure," House answered, standing. "And I'm going to have a baby."

Foreman, Chase, and Cameron rolled their eyes and filed out of his office to put some distance between themselves and a grumpy House.

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"You TOLD them?" hissed Cuddy. "You told _them?_ Not Wilson, your best friend. Hell, not even my parents know and _they_ are the first people you tell?" She was livid. The idea had been to announce it together, starting quietly with Wilson and allowing it to spread.

"Oh come on Cuddy," he rolled his eyes, "It was a sarcastic comment in passing. They weren't even supposed to believe it or give it a second thought."

"You've worked with _Cameron_ for how long and you still think that she could keep her nose out of _this_? She waltzed in her today and demanded to know if I was pregnant! I mean, confronted like that do you think I could keep it a secret? She was the worst possible person to have to find out this way! She asked me if you were going to be in the baby's life, so I told her that was the plan. I think it killed her that you were actually nice and cared about something! House she's heartbroken all over again, not to mention jealous! You insensitive bastard!" she stormed. She was pacing her office, while he was sprawled across the couch.

"Sorry," he mumbled, but his words only seemed to spur her on.

"And you know that as soon as Chase and Foreman know something, it isn't going to be a secret for long! By tomorrow afternoon the whole damn hospital will know! Then we'll be dealing with Wilson's hurt feelings, the staff's insecurity, and the board's disappointment! We are not prepared for this! We haven't even talked about this stuff!"

"I'm aware of that, and I'm sorry. But at this point there isn't a whole lot that I can do about it. The cat's out of the bag Lisa. Unfortunately, it escaped before we got it to where we wanted to let it out, but shit happens! This way we will deal with it now, and get it over with. Do you think anyone would have a different reaction if we had more time? They'd still be hearing it for the first time! And honestly, how much longer do you think you'll be able to hide this? Especially with all the Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream that you've been craving," he joked. As he was speaking, he stood and slowly made his way to her side. "Lisa, with this baby, there are more important things to worry about than how our coworkers are going to react. I know we both live out the majority of our time here, but this baby impacts our life, and not any of theirs!"

She gave in. He could see it in her body language that she couldn't be mad at him any longer. She relaxed, and leaned into him, allowing him to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"I've been furious with you for one reason or another for the better part of the day, Greg. It's exhausting."

"I know," he confessed, "and I'm sorry. It really wasn't meant to be taken seriously. I shouldn't have said it, but I guess I wasn't thinking. I love you. We're going to be okay."

"I love you too," she whispered.

A.N. Hahaha. Take THAT history exam…oh wait…oh dear. Haha. Oh well. This is just as important…and rewarding…ANYWAYS. I would love it if ya'll would review for me!! I need to know how I'm doing! And I also need a beta!! Message me if you can do it! Thanks a ton!!


	10. Distractions

A.N.: Okey Dokey, so now that I am home from University, I no longer have excuses for not updating this fic, sooooooo here's the next chapter. P.S., writer's block is NOT a myth!

WARNING! The M warning applies to this chapter. If you're offended by it, don't read it:)

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with House, except for a t-shirt that I ordered off of the Fox website…

"Is it just me or are the girls looking significantly larger today?" House said by way of greeting as he walked into Lisa's office. She was sitting at her desk, twirling a strand of her curls around her finger as she read a case-file. She wore a classic Cuddy power-suit, the only one that still fit her. She'd only gained just over 10 pounds, but when all of your clothes are skin-tight, 10 pounds is a major issue. Regardless, the outfit gave him a perfect glimpse of her breasts, which in his opinion was a view that had been sorely missed around the office lately.

"It's just you," she said, not even looking up. One leg was folded beneath her, and he noticed her bare feet with a grin.

"I beg to differ," he persisted. "I consider myself to be an expert in your funbags. In fact, I practically majored in them in college. And, especially lately, I have had many an opportunity to study them up-close and personal. Therefore, claiming my extensive research background as a basis, I hypothesize that they are indeed larger today. Either that or you found one hell of a push-up." He made his way around the desk until he was standing directly behind her. "Speaking of the girls, why _are _they out to play today?"

"I have a meeting with the board," she said, still not looking at him. "I have to give them an explanation for why I am carrying the child of one of my department heads. Which, by the way, I would have been ready for if you hadn't shared our little secret with the whole damn hospital."

"If they know that you're pregnant, why on earth would you dress like that to impress them? They're not going to fantasize about seeing you naked when they know you're knocked up. And Foreman, Chase, and Cameron are hardly the whole hospital."

"Contrary to popular belief, I dress this way to look professional, not to be the object of every man's sexual fantasies. And obviously the word has spread, because about 20 different people have come in her today to talk to me about it. Some of them came to congratulate me, others to angrily voice their concerns. I was keeping score, but I forgot to count the last few."

It was then that he noticed the tired slump of her shoulders. She was frustrated, and stressed out. Her whole life she'd sought the approval of others, and here she was doing something that almost no-one approved of. He noticed a bright blue sticky note on the edge of her computer monitor, and he grinned slightly when he saw the tallies in black ink against the paper. Apparently, those people who disapproved were winning.

"Stressed?" he asked, knowing the answer. She nodded, and his hands on her shoulders began to gently massage the tight muscles. "If I'd known, I could have given you a fantastic full-body massage this morning. But you left before I got up."

She snorted. "Well, I had no choice! People notice when the dean of medicine saunters in 6 hours late!" He grinned, glad to hear the humour in her voice. She'd stopped reading, and now sat with her head slightly tilted to the side, enjoying the feel of his strong fingers working the knots out of her sore muscles.

"That feels good," she admitted after a few moments, her voice soft and missing the frustration of moments before. He said nothing, just continued to work on her shoulders and upper back until she was totally relaxed. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

"Mmm," she murmured, clearly not expecting the contact. He spun her office chair around so she was facing him, then pulled her gently to her feet. Her blue eyes met his, and he could see the mild curiosity in them. He leaned down to her lips and placed a soft kiss on them. She snaked her arms around his neck to pull him down to her height, which was significantly further when she was in her bare feet. She returned his kiss, and deepened it, until she found herself completely caught up in the man that she loved. He pulled her closer to him, until her body was tight against his. She moaned, the sound that he had been waiting for. He ran his hands down her back and across her fantastic ass, then, with a hand on the back of each of her thighs, he lifted her up and sat her on the edge of her desk. His lips never left hers, and her tongue was torturing him with every movement. He ran one hand up the inside of her thigh, torturously slowly, and the other he slipped beneath the jacket of her suit and teased one nipple through her thin blouse and bra. He cupped her breast in his hand, carefully because he knew it was tender, and continued snaking his hand up her inner thigh. He stopped just short of her core.

"Mmm," he mumbled, pulling away from her lips. "I was right."

"About what?" she asked absently, starting to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"They feel bigger too," he said, busying himself once more with his mouth on her neck. He nipped her and rubbed his stubble along her collarbone, then used his lips and tongue to sooth the area. She pulled his shirt off with ease, and ran her hands across his chest.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," she said, then whimpered as his hand slipped beneath the hem of her skirt. Her jacket joined his shirt on the floor, and House moved on to her blouse, skilfully undoing her buttons with his free hand.

"I'm not complaining," he replied, expertly removing her blouse and latching onto one of her tender nipples through her black lace bra. Her head fell back, her curls spilling out over the desktop, and she moaned long and deeply from the feelings that he brought out in her. She let out a sharp gasp as his fingers stroked her through her wet panties. She could picture him grinning as he discovered just how much she really wanted him. Suddenly, he let go of her and stood, just far enough away that she could no longer touch him, and more to the point, he was no longer touching her.

"House…" she panted, "what…?"

"I just remembered: I distinctly recall you mentioning that you did not ever want a repeat of the entire desk incident. I wouldn't want to go against your wishes," he teased, knowing that he had pushed her too far for her to go back now. She frowned slightly when she noticed the look on her face, leading her to believe that he could stop any time he wanted to. She was almost angry that his self-control outweighed her own, but she decided that at this point she didn't care.

"Shut up," she ordered. "Get back here!"

"Damn woman, you're sexy when you take control."

"I never lose control," she shot back as he began to kiss his way down her body.

"We'll see," he mumbled, but she knew that the challenge would be short-lived. If there was one thing that this man could do well, it was making her beg for him. He rendered her speechless as he simultaneously latched his lips onto her nipple and began to rub his thumb against her clit through her panties. She threw her head back, and a raging torrent of curses and praises fell from her lips. She could feel the fire burning steadily between her thighs, and she was already anticipating the sweet release.

Once she regained higher-level brain functions, she reached down and began to stroke his cock through his jeans as he continued his treatment. He groaned, causing her a brief moment of ecstasy as she felt him growing steadily harder against her hand.

"Dr. Cuddy?" the receptionist, House thought her name may be Sharon, so rudely interrupted. Cuddy's head shot up and she stood, straightening her skirt as though the young woman could somehow see her. Cuddy pressed the talk button on her phone, after taking a brief moment to compose herself, and quietly demanded to know what the younger woman wanted. House almost pitied the girl for coming between Lisa and her orgasm, but he more pitied himself for missing out on his own.

"Dr. Jenson and Dr. Michaels are heading down to the conference room now. I just thought you would like to know that the board is arriving," the young woman announced.

"Thanks Carly," Cuddy replied, sighing as she closed the connection between herself and her outer office. House took a moment to try and picture the young woman sitting at the desk, but realised that he couldn't remember her at all.

"Wasn't there a…" he began, then thought the better of the question, deciding that there were other priorities than the receptionist's name. He wrapped his arms around Lisa's waist again, hoping to continue where they left off, but she was clearly having none of it.

She twisted out of his grip, and shimmied back into her full power suit. A brief moment of primping, and a swipe of red lipstick brought her back to full glory. She started to leave the room, then turned back to him, as though in an afterthought.

"We'll continue this later," she whispered huskily in his ear, then spun on her heels and sashayed out of the office, leaving House with a fabulous view of her amazing ass. He sighed and sank into her office chair, needing to take a moment before he could properly function again. Meanwhile, Lisa was walking toward the conference room with her usual long, powerful, confident strides. Unknowingly, House had made her feel sexy again, and with that she had regained the confidence to face the whole damn world. She took a deep breath, put on her best smile, and pushed the conference room door open…

A.N. There it is folks. I know, it's short, but I'm tired. I believe I feel another chapter coming on though, so we'll see what happens…perhaps a conversation between House and Wilson? I don't know if I'm really keeping them in character, so any tips ya'll have are MORE than welcome. Still need a Beta too, so hit the little review button and tell me what you're thinking!


	11. Prediction?

James Wilson was, in general, a quiet man. Yes, in the mornings he tended to make quite a racket while he got ready for work, and he had become quite good at battling one Gregory House, but other than that he was a quiet man. Actually, being quiet did have its benefits. He could sit in any room and eavesdrop on a conversation, and the other occupants in the room paid little attention to him and didn't suspect him at all. Like right now.

The board room was full. It was the first meeting since he could remember when all of the board members were actually present. For some, seeing Dr. Cuddy at all was enough to make the effort, but even for those who didn't jump at the chance to spend a couple of hours examining her breasts, this meeting was a must-see. As usual, Wilson was one of the quietest members there. In fact, if you happened to see one of the members at his or her country club and you asked him or her to name the other members of the board, most of them would have to include Wilson on the list of people that they couldn't remember. It was mostly because, other than voting, Wilson didn't really actively participate in the meetings. It wasn't because he was shy, or that he didn't have an opinion. More than likely it stemmed from a long relationship with House in which he learned to pick his battles.

Right now he was putting his eavesdropping skills to good use, listening to the board members' already decided positions on the issue of House and Cuddy. God that still sounded weird to him. He'd been a little bit hurt when he wasn't the first person that they told, but then again he probably should have seen it coming. There had certainly been enough clues.

Mr. Jamieson, an older, heavy-set donor with thick white eyebrows and a permanent scowl was sitting directly across the table from him. His voice, just barely louder than his hideous Hawaiian print tie, easily carried over the others in the room as he angrily discussed the situation with the doctor next to him. He, predictably, disapproved. Wilson checked one "no" vote off on his mental tally, and he added another as he saw the doctor nodding in response. Jamieson's arguments weren't very well organized, but he made up for his lack of planning with his booming voice and intimidating physical presence.

Next down the line were two women, both in scrubs. One was the representative from the nurses, a middle-aged woman in a bright floral print; loud, but tasteful. She, also, had a commanding voice that came from holding her own against this group of doctors with superiority complexes. The second woman, the chief neo-natal surgeon, was much quieter. But her wide brown eyes, long dark hair, and slim form that fit perfectly inside her burgundy scrubs usually kept the men's attention long enough for her to make her point. He could hear their conversation, but he didn't need to. Being two of the four women on the board, both with kids at home, he could have predicted their support of Lisa. And once their conversation confirmed it, he added two "yes" votes to the list, effectively counteracting Jamieson.

To the right of them sat one man. Mr. Mackellar. He was another generous donor, and he was another who was similar to Wilson. He was incredibly quiet. He sat alone, with his chair slightly pushed back from the table. He was clean-shaven, with dark eyes and hair, greying at the temples. To Wilson, he always seemed like he was brooding. Today was no different, and Wilson added an "unknown" to the list before moving on down the line.

Dr. Kelsey and Dr. Andrews were the best of friends. They were both cardio-thoracic surgeons, and proud of it. They practiced together, ate together, golfed together, and their wives played tennis together at the country club that they were both members of. Their families dined together at least once a week, and Wilson thought that he recalled Andrews' son marrying Kelsey's daughter the summer before. They even looked alike! And they ALWAYS voted the same way. But right now they were engaged in a heated argument. Kelsey slammed his fist down on the table, and Andrews hissed something through clenched teeth as they both turned red from anger. Wilson could guess what they were arguing about, so he put down a "yes" and a "no", not really caring who was who.

The last couple in the room were the Martins. They were the hospitals largest donors, and thus had both been granted a position on the board. He was a senior partner at a law firm, and he looked as though he never smiled. She was a business executive somewhere, and she pulled the power-suit look quite well, although she couldn't rival Cuddy. She was blonde…sort of, and rather harsh looking. They were the only people not currently discussing their opinions, since they had no doubt talked about it over breakfast that morning. She was saying something about a new deal that was about to go through, and how she hoped that this meeting wouldn't be too long. As a woman, some people would have expected her vote, but she seemed like the type who would believe that children simply got in the way of a good business-woman, so Wilson decided to be safe and predict a "no".

Now they were fairly well balanced, when he added his own "yes" to the tally. Wilson much preferred to go into the vote knowing fairly well how it would turn out, but at this point it depended completely on the votes of Mr. Martin and Mr. Mackellar.

Wilson inwardly groaned. This was going to be a long meeting.

A/N: Does she get fired, or doesn't she?? Evil Laugh You shall have to wait and seeeee! And/Or I haven't decided yet. Hmmm… Reviews are appreciated!


	12. Deliberations

A/N: Hey ya'll, sorry this took so long but it needed some fine tuning as to the final outcome. Big thanks to my new Beta, HouseAddiction!

The room fell silent as Cuddy walked in, her head held high. No one, not even her, said a word as she took her place at the head of the table. Normally she would have had an armload of papers and a few files that covered all of the topics they needed to discuss, but this special meeting had only one purpose. The board of directors at Princeton Plainsborough Teaching Hospital was meeting for the sole purpose of deciding the fate of their Hospital Administrator and Chief of Medicine. They would decide what actions, if any, needed to be taken in response to Cuddy's intimate relationship with one of the doctors on her staff, as well as the impending child that was a result of that relationship.

"Good afternoon," Cuddy greeted them warmly, with no trace in her voice of the nervousness she was feeling. "I don't see the point in sticking to the procedure and properly introducing the motion; you all know why we're here. I'm sure you've all heard enough gossip to be able to figure out exactly what's going on, but in case you haven't, here's the short story. Dr. House and I are in a relationship, and I am expecting his child. If you decide that something needs to be done about it, then I will face whatever consequences that you decide are appropriate. I'm not allowed to be in the room while you discuss and vote on this motion, so Dr. Wilson, I will ask you to page me when you've reached your decision. Until then, I'm needed in the clinic."

With that, and after acknowledging Wilson's brief nod, she turned on her high heels and promptly walked out of the room. A wide grin spread across Wilson's face as he inwardly cheered at the act she'd just put on. _You go girl_ he thought, as he turned back to the members of the board just in time to hear the start of the debates.

* * *

Cuddy was pacing. Despite her bold speech in the meeting, her nerves were starting to get the best of her. She's spent 20 minutes in the clinic, but she quickly grew impatient and couldn't stay there. So she'd headed back to her office to try to get a bit of work done before she got the page. But after half an hour of nervously moving papers around her desk, she decided that she would actually _die_ if she didn't find something to do to fill the time. And what the hell was taking them so long anyway? So now she was in House's office, nervously pacing a trail along his carpet as he sat behind his desk absently tossing his ball into the air.

* * *

Back in the board meeting, Wilson was still doing his best to gauge what the overall result of the meeting would be. As expected, the moment that the door shut behind Cuddy, Mr. Jamieson took the floor; his size and volume easily allowing him to take the lead in the discussions.

"I expect that this meeting will be very short," he announced. "There aren't very many things that we need to take into consideration here, and the decision is obvious. Regardless of the child, having a romantic relationship with an employee is strictly against the terms of Dr. Cuddy's contract."

Several people in the room nodded strongly in agreement.

"Therefore," Jamieson continued, "I move that this board vote on the immediate dismissal of Dr. Lisa Cuddy as an employee of this hospital."

The doctor seated to Jamieson's left immediately seconded the motion, and Wilson stepped in.

"I will remind you, before we vote," he said, "that to fire Dr. Cuddy requires the vote to be unanimous."

Jamieson looked at him with a blank expression.

"I trust that the members of the board will make the right decision," was his only response.

The vote was quickly shot down, however, when the representative from the nurses voted in favour of keeping Cuddy. Jamieson sat down in a huff.

"Now we need to decide what a suitable punishment would be for Doctor Cuddy under the circumstances," Dr. Andrews said from the other end of the table.

"Firing her was the only suitable punishment," Jamieson said, and Wilson could tell that they weren't going to get anything helpful from him. The debates resumed, and Wilson settled back into his seat, preparing for a long meeting.

* * *

"Lisa, for Christ sakes, would you sit down?" House said suddenly, raising his voice. He instantly regretted his tone of voice, but he'd been holding in his frustration at her pacing, and it all came out in that one sentence. She looked at him, pouting, and plopped unceremoniously down on the couch. She glared at him for a moment, then turned her attention to her fingernails; picking at them though they were perfectly manicured. House stood and made his way to her side, sitting on the edge of the seat beside her.

"Look, Lisa, at this point there is nothing you can do. You chose this battle, and unfortunately, all you can do is wait until the decision is reached," he offered. She sighed, and folded her hands neatly in her lap; a conscious effort to keep from fidgeting. He pulled her gently against his chest and held her, burying his slight smile in her hair.

* * *

Wilson put on a grim look as he entered House's office. Lisa shot upright as soon as she saw him, and she looked a little like a cornered animal.

"Did the board reach a decision?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Wilson nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Cuddy," he responded, feeling almost guilty as he saw her face fall.

"Sorry?" she asked, "They voted to fire me?"

"No," he answered, "I'm just sorry that you have to continue trying to keep tabs on House and keep this place up and running. You're staying."

"Staying?" she breathed, in relief, "But what consequences did they vote for?"

"None at all. Jamieson, of course, proposed your immediate dismissal. There were a few other ideas thrown out as soon as that was shot down, but then Mr. Martin made a stirring speech informing everyone that he thinks you've been doing an incredible job, and as long as you continue to do so, your personal life will be none of our business. His wife added that as the board, our job is simply to oversee the hospital as a whole, and not interfere in the personal lives of its employees. Turns out they met on the job, and were fired for it," he laughed. Cuddy grinned.

"Congratulations Lisa," House offered, genuinely. She turned and threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly as Wilson slipped out the door, unnoticed.

A/N: Sorry guys, I know this has been a long time coming, and I have no good excuses. Please review!


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